The coffee shop from Friends finally exists for real (in Beijing)

Central Perk, the fictional coffee shop where the characters of Friends spent almost all their time, has finally opened in real life. A near-identical replica of the iconic '90s hangout has opened in a Beijing apartment complex, run by a Friends superfan named Du Xin—who actually prefers to go by "Gunther." Obviously, Du is really, really into Friends, claiming, “For me, it’s like a religion. It’s my life.”

That intense devotion to Friends is apparent from the detail Du put into his Central Perk, which has the same window and doorway as the “real” coffee shop, as well as that couch. Furthermore, the menu only features snack items mentioned on the show, complete with annotations that explain exactly when that cupcake appeared in an episode. Du has even constructed a replica of Joey and Chandler’s apartment next door to Central Park, featuring a foosball table, Baywatch DVDs, and the giant TV cabinet Joey built.

Du traces his love of Friends, as well as its massive popularity in China, to the “living way” of the characters, who spent all their time just hanging out with their best friends. So what do Friends devotees who flock to Du’s Central Perk do while similarly just hanging out? Watch Friends reruns, of course. [via NPR / image via Goldsea.com]